BLOW GLOBE: John Sturino’s Boundary-Breaking New Jazz Ensemble

Awarded the 2024 Chamber Music America New Jazz Works Grant, BLOW GLOBE is a ten-piece ensemble led by Juilliard-trained drummer and composer John Sturino. This unique group fuses the sounds of jazz, classical chamber music, contemporary electronic, and pop/rock, creating an expansive and vibrant sonic universe.

Featuring a stellar lineup of NYC’s brightest jazz talents — including Nathan Reising (alto sax), Abdias Armenteros (tenor & soprano sax), Garrett Wingfield (bass clarinet & baritone sax), Summer Camargo (trumpet & flugelhorn), Kazunori Tanaka (French horn), and others — BLOW GLOBE channels the energy and diversity of cultures from across the world. The ensemble also regularly features vocalist Mar Vilaseca, whose lush voice brings a haunting, lyrical dimension.

John Sturino’s journey to BLOW GLOBE stems from his desire to create music that reflects his eclectic tastes and embraces a wide range of styles. Inspired by the lush yet intimate soundscapes on Walt Weiskopf’s Song For My Mother, Sturino envisioned an ensemble capable of producing big band richness while maintaining a light, buoyant feel.

“This album is a true celebration of the music that has shaped my own identity and taste,” Sturino says. “From composing to recording and mixing, it’s been a labor of love and exploration.”

• Year Of The Globe
  The opening track captures the album’s ethos — blending diverse sounds, textures, and grooves in a melodic yet straightforward way.

• Renewal
  Originally composed for a group with classical strings and jazz quartet, this piece moves from dark introspection to energetic celebration, featuring standout solos from Abdias Armenteros and Chris McCarthy.

• Only In Dreams (feat. Mar Vilaseca)
  A stunning cover of Weezer’s classic, reimagined with serene vocals and rich jazz textures.

• Slug
  Inspired by Sturino’s life in NYC, this piece contrasts slow physical movement with rapid mental activity, highlighted by Garrett Wingfield’s expressive bass clarinet.

• Bonafides
  A straight-ahead swing with a Latin twist — spotlighting vibrant solos from Summer Camargo and Garrett Wingfield.

• Morning Sun (feat. Mar Vilaseca)
  A joint composition between Vilaseca and Sturino, this track personifies sunlight through music, enriched by soprano sax melodies.

• PLG (Prophets Lefferts Gardens)
  A love letter to Sturino’s Brooklyn neighborhood, this track blends jazz and electronic influences, featuring guitar and trombone solos.

A Juilliard graduate and drummer with a passion for composition, Sturino has spent years crafting a voice that spans genres and traditions. BLOW GLOBE is his boldest statement yet — an ensemble where acoustic instrumentation meets contemporary sounds in a vibrant conversation.